REAL VAISNAVA-SEVA

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna prabhuji

PAMHO, AGTSP

I'm a bit confused. Should we or whouldn't we give dakshina to pure

devotees, and feed them? I think, in ISKCON, some of us might be

progressing by just giving dakshina to vaishnavas, instead of learning about

Krishna from them. There is a verse in SB, where it is stated that if one

gives dakshina to pure vaishnava, the results are unlimited. The verse

eludes me right now, and I have to look up in folio to get the exact

wording.

Could you please also post the context where Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur wrote

this.

Thanks in advance

Humbly yours

Vidurpriya dasa

 

> REAL VAISNAVA-SEVA

>

> Feeding Vaisnavas and offering them dakshina (money) is considered part of

> the staunch karma-kanda. Dakshina is not for Vaisnavas. This system of

> offering dakshina to Vaisnavas has been arisen from the smarta-system of

> inviting brahmanas, feeding them and offering dakshina. It is very

> essential to completely give up this syastem among Vaisnavas.

>

> "O bhaktas! Please serve in all ways those Vaisnavas who are continuously

> engaged in chanting the pure name. But please don't make Vaisnava-seva

> even lower than karma-kanda by offering dakshina to the Vaisnavas while

> feeding them. Inviting so-called renounced Vaisnavas to simply feed them

> is not the instruction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu."

>

> (Thakura Bhaktivinoda in Vaisnava-seva, Sajjana Toshani 6/9)

>

> Nowadays people have set up these system of 'mahotsava'. People think that

> it is Vaisnava-seva. ANYTHING OTHER THAN SERVICE TO A PURE VAISNAVA IS NOT

> ACTUALLY VAISNAVA-SEVA. ALTHOUGH THE PURE VAISNAVAS ARE VERY RARE, STILL

> ONLY THEIR SERVICE IS KNOWN AS VAISNAVA-SEVA.

>

> (Thakura Bhaktivinoda in Vaisnava-seva, Sajjana Toshani 4/5)